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The coronavirus has taken hold in sports and is beating hard on anyone who cannot afford to create a bubble around its participants. So, except for football and basketball, in their men’s leagues, all other sports live better or worse with contagions. The women’s soccer league accumulates several canceled matches each week. Also handball, which combines the health and transparency with the desire to play the days in the most “normal” way possible.
Due to the delay in the start of the Asobal League due to the lack of firm protocols, the positives that force the suspension of the matches are added every weekend. There are several meetings that will have to find a new date in a competition that is already compressed. Up to 20 without counting days 1 and 3, delayed by anti-coronavirus protocols. It cannot be forgotten that handball is one of the sports with more contact, and that team trips are usually made by bus. A cocktail that favors contagion. Given the non-professionalization of handball in Spain was ruled out from the start create a bubble. “Players have their job apart from handball and it is impossible for them to concentrate,” explains Jaime Alvado, manager of Handball Benidorm.
Also, that not only the Spanish league is suffering these mandatory stops. France, Hungary or even the Champions League is pending every day of the mandatory PCR tests to all the players before each match.
In the domestic competition, Benidorm Handball is one of the most affected, as it has seen how they were canceled nine games in just thirteen games. And paradoxes of life: «And the worst thing is that none of them have been because of having a positive in our team. Then they will come to us all at once when we have to play four games a week, ”says Alvado. They assume it as what they have to live. Because it is a reflection of what is also experienced every day in society. “Everything is happening because we follow the protocol and having many tests also give, of course, many positives. We have to assume it, but it is true that this affects a concern and an obvious lack of competition pace. Yesterday we were already on a trip to Zaragoza when they told us it was being postponed. We spent a whole month without playing any game, “he continues.
Coach, Fernando Latorre, was more incisive a few days ago, declaring that it was not only the virus’s fault: «It is very difficult to keep the equipment plugged in under these circumstances. It is clear that it is the fault of the virus, but also of the protocols and of the people who allow the competition to be distorted. While the rest of the teams will play one game a week, Benidorm will have to do a double, if not more if the trend continues. «If this goes further and the competition is suspended, the classification that is valid is that of the first day of the second round. It would seem good to me if we have all played under the same conditions, which is not our case.
Decision of the Autonomous Communities
However, Asobal does nothing more than transparency work in which, of course, the health and caution above all. And he claims that, unlike other sports, handball is governed by the criteria of the autonomous communities. Thus, as soon as a positive appears, the decisions that are made are not unanimous: or tests are carried out on others and it is played if they are negative or you choose to confine the whole group. «It is very difficult to take the responsibility of saying that it is played or not. We are talking about health, and the minimum that there may be a risk the decision is postponement “, sources from the Association tell ABC.
They prefer to continue working than to count the number of games postponed to date. On this weekend, the origin of the cancellations comes from the positive that Jorge Maqueda gave and reported by his team, the Hungarian Veszprem. Having been in contact with other internationals from the national team, the clubs have done their serological tests and several infections have been discovered: Granollers, Ademar, Bidasoa …
They look to the long term and prefer to pass this wave of positives now and locate the games in the future, in which they hope that everything will calm down. Hence they have decided to release the weekend of December 19 and 20, postponing the Asobal Cup to 2021. Because, in addition, it is disputed by the best of the first round and, for the moment, it is not possible to have a fair approximation of who could access.
In the long term, they are already working on options so that the competition can develop in the best possible way. Although they were the obvious proof that professional sports cannot be played with a mask. “The Club Association has created a committee and there is even talk of stopping the competition, but nothing has been decided,” says Alvado. Asobal also thinks of a two group format, with which they would reduce the load of parties of the 34 days stipulated so far. Although it would be the Handball Federation who had the last word.
They even go further, since one of the highest income of Spanish clubs is the sale of tickets and season tickets. And the lack of viewers may be a new crisis that will pay off in the not too distant future. At the moment, everyone is looking at how health can later let them play.
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